Sacramento City Council
January 18, 2022

Susana Alcala Wood, City Attorney Jorge Oseg uera, City Auditor Mindy Cuppy, City Clerk Howard Chan, City Manager John Colville, City Treasurer City Council Report
915 I Street, 1st Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2021-01422 January 18, 2022 Consent Item 06
Title: Resolution Determining the Beehive Building at 2131 Q Street is Not Eligible for Listing on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources and is Not a Historic Resource for CEQA Purposes (M21-006)
Location: 2131 Q Street (013-0231-022-0000); District 4 R
ecommendation: Adopt a Resolution determining: 1) the building at 2131 Q Street is not eligible for listing on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources and is not a historic resource for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (CEQA Guidelines section 15064.5(a)(3)) due to the building’s loss of historic integrity of design, materials, and workmanship; and 2) this determination is exempt from CEQA review under CEQA Guidelines sections 15378(b)(2), 15378(b)(5), 15060(c)(3), and 15061(b)(3).

C
ontact: Sean de Courcy, Preservation Director, (916) 808-8259, [email protected], Community Development Department P
resenter: None.

A
ttachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Resolution
3-Historic Resource Evaluation

File ID: 2021-01422 Consent Item 06
January 18, 2022
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City of Sacramento

Description/Analysis

Issue Detail: The property owner retained the services of Historic Resource Associates to evaluate the Beehive building at 2131 Q Street also known as the “Beehive” (Attachment 3).

The historical report concluded the property lacked sufficient historic significance and integrity necessary for listing as a historical resource on the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) or the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources (Sacramento Register). At a public hearing on October 26, 2021, the City Council concurred with the historical report prepared by Historic Resource Associates that the property at 2131 Q Street lacked sufficient historic integrity of design, materials, and workmanship to qualify for listing on the Sacramento Register. The City Council directed staff to return with findings of fact concluding the property is not eligible for listing based on the lack of historic integrity (as required by City Code section 17.604.210.A.1.b) and for this same reason the building is not a historic resource for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (CEQA Guidelines section 15064.5(a)(3)). Based on that direction, Staff has prepared a draft Resolution (Attachment 2) for review by the City Council.

Policy Considerations: The City has an interest in maintaining the relevance and integrity of the Sacramento Register and ensuring that properties listed on the Register meet the criteria for listing specified in City Code section 17.604.210. To this end, properties eligible for listing must retain sufficient integrity (City Code section 17.604.210.A.1.b). After review, the City Council determined that 2131 Q Street does not retain sufficient integrity for listing and directed staff to prepare the proposed resolution (Attachment 2) to confirm this determination.

Economic Impacts: Not applicable.

Environmental Considerations:

The Community Development Department, Environmental
Planning Services Division has reviewed the proposed resolution and determined that the resolution is not a project requiring review under the California Environmental Quality Act, consistent with CEQA Guidelines sections 15378(b)(2), 15378(b)(5), and 15060(c)(3), because it relates to an administrative activity of the city that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment, and CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. Specifically, the action in this report confirms the City Council’s determination made on October 26, 2021, that 2131 Q Street is not eligible for listing as historic landmark on the Sacramento Register and is not a historic resource for purposes of CEQA. The proposed resolution, which confirms the City Council’s October 26, 2021 determination, will not result in any physical development that could affect the environment.

Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that the action will have no significant impacts to the environment.

File ID: 2021-01422 Consent Item 06
January 18, 2022
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City of Sacramento

Sustainability: Not applicable.

Commission/Committee Action: On July 22, 2021, the City of Sacramento’s Acting Preservation Director, in conformance with Section 17.604.220 of the City Code, held a public hearing, reviewed the historic analyses prepared by staff and Historic Resource Associates, and concurred with a draft statement of nomination and directed staff to prepare a draft Ordinance for review and consideration by the Preservation Commission. On August 18, 2021, the Preservation Commission held a hearing and passed a motion recommending the City Council adopt an ordinance listing 2131 Q Street in the Sacramento Register. On October 26, 2021, the City Council held a public hearing and reviewed the whole record and concluded the Beehive building at 2131 Q Street lacked sufficient historic integrity of design, materials, and workmanship to qualify for listing on the Sacramento Register as it does not satisfy City Code section 17.604.210.A.1.b, which requires a listed building retain its historic integrity. For this same reason, the City Council concluded the building is not a historic resource for purposes of CEQA. The City Council directed staff to return with a resolution memorizing that conclusion.

Rationale for Recommendation: There are seven qualities used to define integrity: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. As defined by Nation Register Bulletin 15, a property’s integrity resembles its ability to convey its significance.

Consistent with the National Parks Service’s National Register guidance, the California Register of Historical Resources and the Sacramento Register both require a resource to retain historic integrity to be eligible for listing. Therefore, the Beehive Building must retain enough essential physical features, and they must be visible, to convey its significance under the various significance criteria. When the City Council reviewed the competing expert opinions at their meeting on October 26, 2021, the City Council determined that the alterations to the building, including:

Integrity of Design: Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property. The remodeling of the building in the 1970s, which included the addition of the northeast wing, the enclosure of the center patio, and alterations to the building’s interior, significantly altered the building such that the building no longer maintains historic integrity. These alterations affected the original plan, space, structure, and style of the building such that it can no longer convey its integrity of design;

Integrity of Materials: Materials are the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property. Cox, Liske, Lionakis, and Beaumont, the building’s original architect, designed the Beehive building to have unique redwood paneling on the outside of the building, and masonry detailing on the exterior. The later removal of this redwood paneling and additions that removed the masonry elements have affected the integrity of physical elements from the

File ID: 2021-01422 Consent Item 06
January 18, 2022
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City of Sacramento

period such that the building can no longer convey its integrity of materials; Integrity of Workmanship: Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory. Cox, Liske, and Lionakis, and Beaumont designed the Beehive building to have unique redwood paneling on the outside of the building, and masonry detailing on the exterior. The removal of redwood paneling and alterations to the masonry elements have affected the integrity of historic materials such that the building can no longer convey the physical evidence of Mid-Century craftsmanship. The interior of the building has been altered by the removal of fixtures and finishes over time such that the physical examples of craftsmanship of the interior is also no longer visible. Therefore, the workmanship necessary to convey its significance of the Mid-Century period has been lost.

The above impacts to the building were so severe that, City Council determined the building could no longer convey its significance due to loss of integrity of design, materials, and workmanship. Accordingly, the building is not eligible for listing on the Sacramento Register and should not be treated as a historic resource for purposes of CEQA (CEQA Guidelines section 15064.5.)

Figure 1: Beehive at 2131 Q Street

File ID: 2021-01422 Consent Item 06
January 18, 2022
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City of Sacramento

Financial Considerations: Not applicable.

Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.

RESOLUTION NO.

Adopted by the Sacramento City Council

Date Adopted

A RESOLUTION DETERMINING THE BEEHIVE BUILDING AT 2131

Q STREET IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING ON THE

SACRAMENTO REGISTER OF HISTORIC AND CULTURAL

RESOURCES OR THE CALIFORNIA REGISTER OF HIS TORCAL
RESOURCES (M21-006)

BACKGROUND

A. On October 26, 20 21, the City Council conducted a public hearing (for which notice was given pursuant Sacramento City Code chapter 17.812) and received and considered evidence concerning the recommendation by the P reservation Commission to list 2131 Q Street on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources (Sacramento Register).

B. On October 26, 2021, the City C ouncil d etermined th at the Be ehive building lacked sufficient integrity of design, materi als, and workmanship to qualify for listing on the Sacramento Register and for this same reason is not a historic resource for purposes of the California Envi ronmental Quality Act ( CEQA). The City C ouncil directed staff to return with a re solution consistent wi th these determinations.

BASED ON THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE BACKGROUND , THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. The building at 2313 Q Street is not eligible for lis ting on th e Sacramento Register as the building lacks historic integrity (as r equired by City Code section 17.604.210.A.1.b). And as the building lacks historic integrity, the building is also not a historic resource for purpose s of CEQA (CEQA Guidelines section 15064.5(a)(3)). With respect to the lack of integrity, t he City Council finds the following:

A. Integrity of Design: Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a propert y.

The remodeling of the building in the 1970s, which included the addition of the northeast wing, the enclosure of the center patio, and alterations to the building’s interior, significantly altered the building such that the building no longer main tains historic integrity. These alterations affected the original plan, space, structure, and style of the b uilding such that it can no longer

convey its integrity of design;

B. Integrity of Materials: Materials are the phys ical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a histor ic property. Cox, Liske, Lionakis, and B eaumont, the building’s original archi tect, designed the Beehive building to have unique redwood paneling on the outside of the building, and ma sonry detailing on the exterior.

The later removal of this redwood pane ling and additions that removed the masonry ele ments have affected the integrity of physical elements from the period such that the building can no longer convey its integrity of materials;

C. Integrity of Workmanship: Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory. Cox, Liske, and Lionakis, and Beaumont designed the Beehive building to have unique
redwood paneling on the outside of the building, and masonry detailing on t he exterior. The removal of redwood paneling a nd alterations to the masonry elements have affected the integrity of historic materials such that the building can no longer convey the physical evidence of Mid-Century craftsmanship. The interior of the build ing has been altered by the removal of fi xtures and finishes over time such that the physical examples of
craftsmanship of the interior is also no longer visible. Therefore, the workmanship necessa ry to c onvey its significance of the Mid-Century period has been lost.

Section 2. The Community Development Department, Environmental Planning Services Division has reviewed , the proposed resolution and de termined that the resolution is not a project requiring review under the California Environmental Quality Act, consistent with CEQA Guidelines sections 15378(b)(2), 15378(b)(5), and 15060(c)(3), because it relates to an administrative activity of the city that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment, and CEQA Guidelines sectio n 15061(b)(3), because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. Specifically, the action in this report confirms the City Council’s determination made on Octo ber 26, 2021, that 2131 Q Street is not eligible for listing as historic landmark on the Sacramento Register and is not a historic resource for purpos es of CEQA. The proposed resolution, which confirms the City Council’s October 26, 2021 determination, wil l not result in any physical development that could affect the environment.

Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that the action will have no significant impacts to the environment.

1 March 4, 2021

Christian Charbonnet
2100 Q Street Owner, LLC
2 Park Plaza, Suite 700
Irvine, CA 92614

Re: Historic Resource Analysis Study of 2131-2132 Q Street, Sacramento, California

Dear Mr. Charbonnet:

As per your request, Historic Resource Associates has completed a historic resource analysis study of 2131-2132 Q Street, Sacramento, Sacramento County, California (Figures 1 and 2), pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), applying the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR), and the City of Sacramento historic preservation planning guidelines. The City of Sacramento tiers its historical ordinances to the NRHP and CRHR, and t he current City Code provisions r elated to Historic Preservation are generally found in Title 17 of the City Code, the Planning and Development Code, including the Definitions section; Chapter 17.604; and, the Administrative Matters section. The City Code defines significance and establishes criteria for designating Landmark properties within its jurisdiction. In addition to this report, California State Department of Parks and Recreation 523 forms were prepared in order to document each property.

The subject property, located at 2131-2132 Q Street in Sacramento, is e numerated as Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) 007 -0321-020-0000. The property was built for the McClatchy Company as a “Cooking School” and commonly known as the “Bee hive” (Figures 1-3). The building was designed in 1956 by Sacrament o architects Cox & Liske, with assistance from Dunbar Beck and Robert W. King, Associates. Construction was completed in 1957 and the building served as the McClatchy home economics department, focused on teaching cooking classes.

Besides developing a historic context for the subject property, this historical analysis will attempt to quantify the integrity of the bui lding by analyzing additions and alter ations to the building, particularly how significant various changes are to both its exterior and interio r fabric in comparison to the original 1 956 architectural plans created by Cox & Liske, Dunbar Beck, and Robert W. King, Associates.

3142 Bird Rock Road
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
Office: 831-641-7474
Mobile: 916-296-4334
Email: [email protected]

HISTORIC RESOURCE ASSOCIATES
HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE • ARCHAEOLOGY • HISTORICAL & GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATIONS • PRESERVATION PLANNING • HISTORIC INTERIORS

2 The “Beehive” and nearby 2100 Q Street, home of the Sacramento Bee, were owned and developed by the company during the 1950s, a period of growth and prosperity. The McClatchy Company was based in Sacramento and incorporated in Delaware. While the founder of the Sacramento Bee, James McClatchy, came to Sacramento in 1849 and started the newspaper business in 1857 on 3rd and J Streets in Sacramento, reportedly for a mere $1,800.00, a century and a half later the family empire has fallen on hard times, a result of years of struggl es in an era of digital media and an unsustainable debt burden left by an $4.4 billion acquisition in 2006.

The owner of The Sacramento Bee , Miami Herald and 28 other papers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020 under a deal that will cancel a majority of its debt, but leave the McClatchy Company in the hands of a group of hedge funds led by Chatham Asset Management of Ne w Jersey. Despite the prophetic turn of events for the company, the newspaper and the company had a profound effect on the City of Sacramento , and the McClatchy family were some of the most recognizable and prominent capitalists and benefactors in the history of Sacramento.

Figure 1: Aerial photograph of the headquarters for the Sacramento Bee newspaper in the foreground and in the distance across Q Street is the “Beehive” building (Google Earth 2020).

Project Location

3 Figure 2: 3D aerial photograph of the “Beehive,” located at 2131-2132 Q Street, looking north (Google Earth 2020).

Figure 3: 3D close-up aerial photograph of the “Beehive,” located at 2131-2132 Q Street, looking north (Google Earth 2021).

Project location

4 HISTORY OF THE MCCLATCHY COMPANY

The historic context for 2131-2132 Q Street Sacramento includes the life and accomplishments of the McClatchy family, their role in journalism and philanthropy in the greater Sacramento region, and Eleanor McClatchy’s close association with Dunbar Beck, whic h continued for many years following completion of building. Much of the following information was extracted from t he Center for Sacramento History’s archival collection, which fortunately included a gift from the vault of the Sacramento Bee in 2005, transferring to the Center over forty linear feet of archival material documenting company activities throughout the 20t h Century , incl uding 288 bound newspaper volumes covering the first 73 years of publication for the Sacramento Bee in nearly its entirety; a broad array of audiovisual materials and artifacts, including various audio and video tapes of broadcast advertising for the company; a 35 millimeter film reel documenting an interview with former Chief Justice Earl Warren (1891-1974) in its original shipping container; and printing press slugs and other company memorabilia to round out its diverse contents.1

The McClatchy Company is a prominent newspaper and internet publisher headquartered in Sacramento, California. Once also the owner of numerous radio and te levision stations, the McClatchy Company currently owns 32 daily and 17 community newspapers, as well as its internet subsidiary, McClatchy Interactive. The McClatchy Company also has interests in Newsprint Ventures, Inc., which operates the Ponderay Newsprint Company, and a regional wire service, the Scripps-McClatchy Western News Service. While it has been associated with the same family for nearly 150 years, the McClatchy Company is a publicly -traded corporation, and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MNI.2

Although its first official incarnation, James McClatchy and Company, was not formed until 1872, the roots of the McClatchy Company lie in the formation of Sacramento's Daily Bee in 1857. First published on February 3, 1857 as a morning newspaper, the Daily Bee was founded by L.C.

Chandler, L.P. Davis, John Church, and W.H. Tobey, and initially edited by John Rollin Ridge.

Less than three months later, on April 6, 1857, the Daily Bee became an evening newspaper, although it did not adopt the Evening Bee moniker until December 1890; the Evening Bee was not re-named the Sacramento Bee until March 1908. In July of 1857, Ridge retired from the Daily Bee, and James McClatchy, a writer for the paper whose family name would henceforth be associated with the Bee, took over as the newspaper's editor.3

A native of Ireland, James McClatchy ( 1824-1883) immigrated to the United States in 1840, and spent the next eight years in New York, where he became a member of the editorial staff of Horace Greeley's New York Tribune . McClatchy moved west to Sacramento in 1849 , reportedly as a correspondent for the Tribune, and prior to working for the Daily Bee had been associated with no less than six other area newspapers including the Placer Times, the Sacramento Transcript, the Settlers and Miners Tribune, the Californian, the Daily Democratic State Journal, and the Daily Times. In 1866, McClatchy became a part owner of the Daily Bee, and by 1872, he was majority

1 Center for Sacramento History Online Website. Sacramento Bee, Archival Collection Catalog No. 2005/054/0001, www.sacramento.pastperfectonline.com/archive/F26A3A79-F096-4A4E-B105-948632953718, Accessed November 13, 2020.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.

5 owner of the newspaper. Aside from a two years hiatus to serve as Sheriff of Sacramento, McClatchy served as editor for the Bee until his death in 1883.4

After his death, James McClatchy's widow, Charlotte McClatchy (1840-1916), bought out the only remaining partner in the Daily Bee, John Francis Sheehan, in 1884, giving her full ownership of the newspaper; she then turned over the newspaper 's operations to her two sons, Charles Kenny (C.K.) and Valentine Stuart (V.S.) McClatchy. The McClatchy sons subsequently divided responsibilities at the new spaper in such a way that V.S. (1857 -1938) became publisher of the newspaper, in charge of all its financial matters, and his younger brother C.K. (1858 -1936), who at the time of his father's death had already been working at the Daily Bee for eight years, became the newspaper's editor. This arrangement lasted for nearly forty years, until C.K. bought out his brother in 1923 to become sole owner of the newspaper.5

Many changes came about at the Evening Bee during the years of the McClatchy brothers' partnership, including the pair of revisions to the newspaper's title mentioned previously. In what was to be the first of many corporate name changes, subsidiary formations, and mergers, the James McClatchy Company was formed in 1898 for the purpose of owning title to the new Evening Bee building at 911 7th Street, which was completed in 1901. The McClatchy brothers' partnership also oversaw the licensing and operation of the company's first radio station from 1921-1922, the short-lived KVQ of Sacramento. In add ition, the McClatchy Compan y started its second newspaper, the Fresno Bee, in October 1922. Despite these advancements, it was agreed that the partnership would be dissolved though a blind auction, with C.K., after outbidding his brother, assuming control of the company in September 1923.6

Already well-known for his editorial capacity, including his widely-read "Private Thinks" columns that were later collected in a single volume, C.K.'s tenure as sole owner of the McClatchy Company was also marked by the perhaps the peak of its expansion and influence. In collaboration with his son, Carlos (1892 -1933), C.K. further extended the company's budding newspaper conglomeration, as well as making a reappearance in the broadcasting industry. Over a span of six years, the McClatchy Company took over operations of five radio stations: KFBK, Sacramento and KMJ, Fresno in 1925; KWG, Stockton and KERN, Bakersfield in 1930; and KOH, Reno in 1931. The company also began operating its third newspaper, the Modesto News-Herald, in August 1927, changing its name to the Modesto Bee in July 1933.7

Although the company was thriving, the death of Carlos, who was slated to succeed C.K. as head of the McClatchy Company , in 1933 brought about some uncertainty concerning its future leadership. These uncertainties were compounded over the next few years by C.K.'s age and failing health. Lacking another family member capable of taking over the helm, C.K. decided to enlist his youngest daughter, Eleanor (1895-1980), a playwright and the atre producer living in N ew York; although Eleanor at first resisted the proposal, when her father took ill in 1936, she acquiesced. By

4 Center for Sacramento History Online Website. Sacramento Bee, Archival Collection Catalog No. 2005/054/0001, www.sacramento.pastperfectonline.com/archive/F26A3A79-F096-4A4E-B105-948632953718, Accessed November 13, 2020.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.

6 this time, C.K. had also hand-chosen Walter P. Jones as his successor as editor of the newspapers, marking the first time in nearly eighty years that a McClatchy did not perform these duties. When C.K. died in April 1936, Eleanor became president of the McClatchy Company, a position that she held for over forty years, ending in 1978.8

Although not experienced in the newspaper business, Eleanor proved to be an adept leader for the company, loyal to both her father's editorial principles and her brother's interest in expansion into other media. Within months of C.K.'s death, the McClatchy Broadcasting Company was founded to further organize the company's burgeoning radio business; although the broadcasting company would be absorbed by McClatchy Newspapers in 1957, its tenure as administrator of the company's broadcasting interests would see the company's growth into FM radio with the launches of KFBK- FM in 1947, KERN -FM and KBEE -FM in 1948, and KMJ -FM in 1949. The McClatchy Broadcasting Company also directed the purchase of another AM radio station in Modesto, KBOX, which subsequently had its call letters changed to KBEE, and t he company's initial for ay into television with the founding of KMJ-TV in 1953; later, in 1964, the McClatchy Company bought a second television station, KOVR in Sacramento. In addition to these developments, in 1950 the Sacramento Bee began construction of a new building at the corner of Q and 21st Streets, which was also to serve as the McClatchy Company's headquarters.9

With the death of Walter Jones in 1974, Eleanor McClatchy returned to within the family ranks for a successor, selecting her nephew (Ca rlos' son), C.K. (1927 -1989), as the new editor of the newspapers. Four years later, in 1978, Eleanor's health began to fail, and the younger C.K. took over as president of the McClatchy Company. In an interesting parallel to events nearly one hundred years prior (following James McClatchy's death), C.K.'s older brother, also named James (1920-2006), became the chairman of the board of directors for the McClatchy Company in 1980.10

Although most of the McClatchy Broadcasting Company's interests, as well as KOVR, remained with th e company, the McClatchy Company's flagship newspaper chain remained at the same number when C.K. took over as it had for over fifty years. Over the next ten years, C.K. would drastically alter the company's emphasis, selling off all of its remaining broadcasting interests and doubling the number of newspapers it published: in 1979, the McClatchy Company bought the Anchorage Daily News and Washington State's Tri-City Herald; in 1986, the company purchased Tacoma, Washington's News Tri bune. C.K. also presided over the McClatchy Company's transition into a publicly-traded company in 1988.11

In 1989, C.K. passed away suddenly. Although his brother, James, had already been named the McClatchy Company's publisher in 1987, for the first time in company history a person outside the McClatchy family, Erwin Potts, became head of the company. Under Potts' direction, the company extended the reach of its newspaper chain into the southern states, buying newspapers in North Carolina and South Caroli na. After Potts retirement in 1996, the current leader of the

8 Center for Sacramento History Online Website. Sacramento Bee, Archival Collection Catalog No. 2005/054/0001, www.sacramento.pastperfectonline.com/archive/F26A3A79-F096-4A4E-B105-948632953718, Accessed November 13, 2020.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid.
11 Ibid.

7 company, Gary Pruitt, took over; in the years since Pruitt's takeover, the company has purchased newspapers in Minnesota and California, as well as internet publishing companies, and in 2006 it purchased the entire Knight Ridder chain of newspapers, adding twenty daily newspapers to its holdings. Despite his family's more limited involvement in the company of late, James McClatchy continued to serve as publisher of the McClatchy Company until his death in 2006. The company's headquarters remain ed in Sacramento at 2100 Q Street, the same location as its flagship newspaper, the Sacramento Bee.12
As reported in the Sacramento Business Journal, to reduce its debt, locally based media company The McClatchy Company entered a sale-leaseback deal for the Sacramento Bee building at 2100 Q. St reet McClatchy with Shopoff Advisors LP, an affiliate of Irvine -based Shopoff Realty Investments, a real estate investment company. The sale was expected to close in the second quarter of 2017. Simultaneously with the closing of the sale, McClatchy w ould enter into a “15- year lease with Shopoff to leaseback the real property with initial a nnual lease payments of approximately $4.6 million," according to a news release fro m McClatchy. The Sacramento Bee, which McClatchy owns, pegged the deal's value at around $51 million. The transaction includes the Bee building and surrounding land and b uildings. It does not include a parking garage that McClatchy sold to Sotiris Kolokotronis. McClatchy also announced that it had entered a "separate but similar" sale -leaseback deal for property associated with The State , a South Carolina newspaper it owns. That deal is with a separate buyer. The news release collectively valued the two deals at $67.8 million.13
Elaine Lintec um, McClatchy’s CFO, explained in the news release that the sale-leaseback transactions were one more step in moving forward with their real estate monetization eff orts to redeploy their capital for better uses for the benefit of the shareholders and bondh olders by reducing debt. Last year, McClatchy announced plans to market some of its buildings to help reduce the company's debt. In October 2016, McClatchy reported a loss of $9.8 milli on for its fiscal third quarter, which ended September 25th, as newspaper advertising revenue continued to decline. Revenue for the quarter was $234.7 million, down from $251.2 million in the third quarter of 2015. Total advertising revenue came in at $133.2 million, down about 11 percent from the year before. McClatchy operates media companies in 29 U.S. markets across 14 states.14

2131-2132 Q Street, in particular, reflects the creativity of Eleanor McClatchy, C. K’s youngest daughter (1895-1980), a playwright and theatre producer living in New York , and her long - standing relationship with Dunbar Beck. When C.K. died in April 1936, Eleanor became president of the McClatchy Company, a position that she held for over forty years, ending in 1978.

12 Center for Sacramento History Online Website. Sacramento Bee, Archival Collection Catalog No. 2005/054/0001, www.sacramento.pastperfectonline.com/archive/F26A3A79-F096-4A4E-B105-948632953718, Accessed November 13, 2020.
13 Ibid
14 Sorich, Sonia. Sacramento Business Journal , “McClatchy sells Sacramento Bee building in sale -leaseback deal.” January 11, 2017.

8 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY

Historic photographs, including aerial photographs, newspaper articles, and o ther archival materials were important in establishing dates of construction, and later alterations for 2131-2132 Q Street. Of particular importance were the original architectural plans of the “Beehive” curated by the Sacramento Bee. The original design for the building called for an auditorium with a stage, kitchen, service hall, large open-air patio, lounge office, woman ’s and men’s bathrooms, and a general office. Ancillary features include an equipment testing area, janitorial room, heater room, air conditioning room vestibule, and a hall.

The subject property is best described as a single-story, wood and masonry asymmetric mid-20th Century modern commercial building with fairly substantial alterations. While the building ’s original massing was primarily rectangular, an addition in 1974 reshaped the building forming an “L” with a wing added to the northeast elevation. The partial concrete-block auditorium is designed with a short parapet fl at roof, having a trapezoidal shape that rises above the remainder o f the building that ext ends to the ea st towards 22 nd Street with an a rticulated flat roof. A steel pole supported veranda wraps around the west elevation extending to the south elevation where it continues as part of the existing flat sloping roofline to the east. The roof of the veranda along Q Street has been removed. Plate glass windows varying in dimension with the sloping roofline run along the so uth elevation wall of what was the open -air patio or lounge terminating at the secondary entrance along Q S treet. There are no windows on the auditorium , although the main public entrance to the auditorium is along Q Street evidence by two solid steel doors with one side light and one top light . While the original louvered east elevation wi ndows remain , the 197 4 addition features narrow vertical rectangular plate glass windows that continue around the rear of the building along the alcove which faces west. Windows appear to have been added to the original rear or north wall of the open -air patio. While the audit orium three exterior walls are buil t of concrete block, the exterior walls of the remaining parts of the building were originally clad with narrow beveled, horizontal commercial grade redwood, although the plans show vertical tongue and groove redwood. The east elev ation retains some of the original redwood exterior siding , however, the 1974 addition is clad with stucco. The building foundation is raised well -above ground level, which requires concrete stairs and a handicapped access ramp to enter the building.

In 1972, the first of the major additions, alterations focused largely on the open-air patio, enclosing it with a solid roof that extends above the former flat roof, which can be clearly seen from Q Street, together with ext ensive interior alteratio ns that included removing existing redwood siding and replacing it with wallboard, re moving an existing wall and door, removing an existing co ncrete platform, stairs, and metal railing, installing new doors and frames, installing cement plaster, wire fabric, and building paper over existing sheathing, and relocating 2 existing 24” x 18” louvers to the north wall of the building. Other alterations included closing openings along the east wall with ¾” and 5/8” drywall, removing concrete block walls earth fill and plantings, installing a new 4 ” concrete slab over a vapor barrier and similar concrete fill over entire court or lounge area to permit a carpet to be laid down, removing planter boxes on the edge of the courtyard or lounge area, removing existing glazing, sliding glass doors , frames, and wood trim along the south courtyard or patio wall, and installing new trip around posts.

9 The rear or north elevation walls were demolished with the 1974 wing addition , which created a general office, mechanical room, and smaller office. Today, the building has three major entries with different addresses – the auditorium having two entries from the west or southwest along Q Street (2131 Q Street), a secondary entrance along Q Street further east (2132 Q Street), another entrance along the east elevation of the building from 22 nd Street leading into the 1974 wi ng addition, and another entrance on the north side of the 1974 wing addition.

Construction History

In the 1940s, Eleanor McClatchy assumed the reins of the company as president and directed the planning and construction of the new headquarters building on 21st Street and 2131-2132 Q Street in the early 1950s . Lockwood Greene, Engineers, Inc. , as well as Cox & Liske, Archit ects were hired to de sign and construct both b uildings,15 Lockwood Greene had offices in Boston, Spartanburg, New York, and Montreal. They reportedly specialized in building newspaper plants throughout the United States.16 The Lawrence Construction Company of Sacramento served as the principal building contractor for the new Bee office at 2100 Q Street and later in 1956 fo r the “Beehive” building at 2131-2132 Q Street.17
Among the many buildings constructed by the Lawrence Construction Company was Johnson’s Del Prado Restaurant, Shop and Stop Market at 60 th and 14 th Avenue, and the American Trust Company Building. 18 Carl Kingsley Lawrence was born on February 6, 1901, in York in the province of Ontario, Canada. He later became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Both of his parents were also born in Ontario. His father, Charles Henry Lawrence, worked at various times in his life as a minister, a laborer in a lumber yard, and a contractor. His mother was Matilda (Hutchinson) Lawrence. Carl Lawrence had one younger sister, Bernice Isa bel (Mitchell) Lawrence. Carl Lawrence attended UC Berkeley and graduated in 192 3. He became an architect and a contractor in the building industry. After living in Oakland, California, he moved to Sacramento. He was the owner of Lawrence Construction Comp any, a prominent b uilding company in the Sacramento area during the 1950s and 1960s.19 Carl married Marjorie Dale McGlashan, and the couple had three children together: Linda Margaret Lawrence , Nancy Kathryn Lawrence , and Patricia Kingsley Lawrence . Carl b ecame president of the Greater Sacramento Chamber of Commerce in 1955. He was a member of the Sutter Club. He died on September 17, 1974 in Sacramento. Lawrence Construction Company was a prominent building company in the Sacramento area during the 1950s and 1960s, and Lawrence was president of the Greater Sacramento Chamber of Commerce. His wife Marjorie was active in a number of local clubs and associations, many of which supported the arts in the Sacramento area, and his daughters, Linda and Nancy, attended C.K. McClatchy High School.20

15 Sacramento Bee, Newspaper, Sacramento, CA, August 27, 1952, p.25. 16 Sacramento Bee, Newspaper, Sacramento, CA, May 13, 1952, p. 29. 17 Sacramento Bee, Newspaper, Sacramento, CA, May 13, 1952, p. 38. 18 Sacramento Bee, Newspaper, Sacramento, CA, May 13, 1952, p. 48. 19 Online Archive of California. Guide to the Nancy Lawrence Family Papers, 1841-2010, Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento Room.
20 Ibid.

10 2131-2132 Q Street lies immediately to the north of 2100 Q Street, across Q Street bordered on the east by 22 nd Street. As previously noted, the building was designed by Sacramento architects Cox & Liske, with design assistanc e from Dunbar Beck and Robert W. King , Associates. The principal architect for the firm was Whitson W. Cox, AIA.

Whitson “Whit” Cox graduated from the U niversity of Oregon’s architecture program in 1948.

Cox was directly informed by his time in Lawrence Hall and his mentor, the renowned architect and educator W. R. B. Willcox. Cox spent thirty years with Cox, Liske, and later Lionakis & Beaumont, Architects and Engineers, a firm he cofounded in Sacramento, California. The firm reportedly grew to be one o f the largest in N orthern California, employing more than thirty architects and engineers and producing $30-40 million in annual construction volume. The group’s biggest projects include the Sacramento Bee headquarters and numerous buildings for Pacific Telephone. Cox worke d as an architect and planner with a strong emphasis on government buildings, especially institutions of higher education, including many schools in the California state college and university system. Over the years, Cox would constantly reaffirm his belie f in public buildings as sacred spaces for art, both in his capacity as an architect for his own firm and during future pursuits working for the California government. This emphasis on the necessary connection of art and architecture had much to do with Cox’s 1983 nomination to the position o f California State Architect. He served as a co -administrator of “The Art in Public Buildings ” program with the California Arts Council, as well as acting as a juror for numerous art and architecture organizations, all while overseeing a staff of 300 who offe red designing and management services for more than 400 projects per year throughout the state. Of those contracts, 60 to 70 percent went to California architects, which led Cox to become highly kn owledgeable about the work of his peers. As a result, Cox w as also well regarded by that same peer group.

Additionally, he was an accomplished visual artist. His watercolor paintings have been exhibited in many national and European traveling exhibits, and his work was shown in exhibits throughout Northern California. After his tenure as state architect ended in 1986, Cox returned to work in his new private consulting practice, Whitson Cox, FAIA. He also became a charter member of the A&AA Board of Visitors , where he voluntee red his time to advocate for the best in terest of the school. This position included a number of tasks, such as advising deans, strengthening alumni networks in California, and assisting with fundraising efforts. Continuing to grow into the 1960’s, employees Cox & Liske expanded the firm to include Klyne G. Beaumont, Howard Engberg, and George Lionakis were added as partners, creating Liske, Lionakis, Beaumont & Engberg , today known as “Lionakis.” Cox passed away in 2007 at the age of 86.21

Dunbar Beck who assisted Cox on the “Beehive” building was a multi-talented artist, muralist, teacher, interior designer, as well as a painter. Born in Ohio, he received his BFA from Yale University in 1926 and was invited to teach there during the following academic year. In 1927, he won the prestigious Prix de Rome for his painting "Adoration" and spent the following three years studying at the American Academy in Rome and traveling extensively in Europe and Africa. On his return to New York in 1930, he accepted teachi ng positions, first at Columbia and then at Cooper Union. He also began receiving several important commissions for murals, altar paintings, and portraits. Among them were a mural for the lobby of Radio City Music Hall in 1934 and a

21 University of Oregon, School of Architecture and Environment. “Whitson Cox 1943 &”1948.” https://archenvironment.uoregon.edu/whitson-cox-1943-48, accessed February 24, 2021.

11 frieze for the case of a grand piano from C.F. Theodore Steinway. Not just any piano, this one was meant as a gift from Steinway & Sons to President Franklin Roosevelt for the White House and it was decorated in gold leaf, its subject, five forms of music indigenous to America. It is still in the White House. In the late 1930s, Eleanor McClatchy, his patron in Sacramento, persuaded Beck to live and work permanently in Sacramento, California and from then on, he spent most of his time on the west coast.22 Upon the death of Dunbar Beck in 1986, the Sacramento Bee printed a tribute to his lifelong accomplishments , particularly his contributions to Sacramento Civic Theater and Theater Company.23 According to Bruc e Marwick, preservation chair of Sacramento Art Deco Society, Beck career was largely as an artist. Beck’s fine art is recognized internationally and his work in theater design is well documented in Sacramento, serving as one of the principal designers of the Music Circus building in the city. 24 In 1950, Bec k was apparently also responsible for designing the Eaglet Theater at 15th and H Street.25
Beck’s associate Robert W. King is lesser known than Beck. According to newspaper accounts and other data, King grew up in Manhattan, his father a successful building engineer. After his father’s death in 1946, King’s mother moved to Portland, Oregon. King and Beck were friends or perhaps even colleagues while living in New York. Certainly, both men shared common interests in art and design. By the 1950s both men had relocated to Sacrament o and formed a partnership evidenced by their collaboration in designing the interior of the “Beehive” for Eleanor McClatchy and Whitson Cox. According to Sacramento business directories, b y 1958, King is listed as working for John Siler Interiors in Sacramento. Siler, himself, is an important designer working in Sacramento from the 1950s through the 1980s. Siler garnered notoriety for his designs of Streng home interiors in Sacramento.26

As previously described, the “Beehive” building was commissioned by the McClatchy Company to house its home economics unit, overseen by Eleanor McClatchy, which included the Katherine Kitchen Home Economics staff housed in an office, along with two kitchens, the Sacramento Bee’s pattern service, and an auditorium with a seating capacity of 100 persons The auditorium was to be used for home econom ics demonstrations and activities of the public relatio ns department of the McClatchy Newspapers and McClatchy Broadcasting Company. Construction of the building began in December 1956 with completion in 1957. According to the building permit, which was issued in 1956, the costs for building the structure were estimated at $90,000, with 4,000 square feet of floor space and 3,000 square feet of interior patio .27 If true, the patio area would have encompassed over 70 percent of the entire building footprint. Original blue prints suggest the patio likely covered over one-third of the gross square footage of the original building (Figures 4-12).

22 Chicago Tribune, Newspaper. “Death of Dunbar Beck.” February 26, 1986; Sotheby’s Auctions. “Dunbar Beck - Biographical Sketch,” March 4, 2009.
23 Sacramento Bee, Newspaper, February 26, 1986.
24 Bruce Marwick, personal communication, November 19, 2020. 25 Sacramento Bee, newspaper, June 13, 1950, p. 1 (courtesy of Bruce Marwick). 26 United States Federal Census 1930-1940; Sacramento City Directories 1950-1960; Dave Weinstein. “John Siler’s Touch: With bright colors and quirky details, this designer’s Streng is an intriguing “Idea House.” https://www.eichlernetwork.com/article/john-silers-touch, accessed February 25, 2021. 27 Sacramento Bee. Newspaper, Sacramento, CA, December 4, 1956, page 2. Based upon the original architectural plans, the open-air patio was subsequently enclosed and remodeled to form a gathering space for meetings in 1972.

12 As described by the Sacramento Bee on August 16, 1957, while Cox & Liske acted as the principal architects, the interior and furnishing of the building w ere designed by Dunbar Beck and Robert W. King.28 The 1972 and the 1974 alt erations were carried out by Cox, Liske, Lionakis & Beaumont, Architects and Engineers. The Lawrence Construction Company served as the general contractor for the original rectangular-shaped one-story concrete block and wood frame building.

The floors were to be textured concrete and plastic tile, while the wall s (interior) were reportedly finished with plastic coverings and decorative designs. The building was treated acousticall y and air conditioned.29

Figure 4: 1956 Architectural Plot Plan with landscaping (Cox & Liske, principal architects)

28 Sacramento Bee. Newspaper, Sacramento, CA, December 4, 1956, page 2. 29 Ibid. An interior inspection of the building identified the now enclosed open patio walls as gl azed ceramic tiles rather than “plastic,” as referenced in the Sacramento Bee article. No other “decorative” designs were identified in the interior of the building, a result of extensive remodeling beginning in the 1970s.

13 Figure 5: 1956 Architectural Plot Plan (Cox & Liske, principal architects)

Figure 6: Illustration of 2131-2132 Q Street from the Sacramento Bee, December 4, 1956. Note the roof opening in the center of the building that formed the interior patio, which is now covered by a raised roof.

14 Figure 7: View looking east at 2131-2132 Q Street (Sacramento Bee, August 16, 1957).

Figure 8: Similar view as Figure 7, looking east. Note that the beams or perhaps roof connecting the steel frame of the veranda are missing along the Q Street elevation, and a shed storage unit was added to the west elevation attached to the concrete block wall and left of the entry doors.

15 Figure 9: 3D view of 2131-2132 Q Street looking northeast and illustrating the configuration of the building today as compared to the original design in 1956 (Figure 5). Note the northeast addition completed in 1974 and the roofing over of the open patio or courtyard in 1972.

Figure 10: Interior view of the extensively converted and remodeled former open-air patio looking southwest towards Q Street.

1974 Addition
Enclosed open-air patio
Auditorium

16 Figure 11: Present-day view of 2131-2132 Q Street,
looking north towards the building from Q Street.

Figure 12: Sacramento Bee newspaper article photograph of the open-air central patio in the center of the “Beehive” (Sacramento Bee Newspaper, August 21, 1957). Note the pergola extending from the roof eaves that once created shade and shadows in the patio (courtesy of Bruck Marwick, Sacramento, California).

Raised roof and the location of the former patio

17 Figure 13: Opening of the “Modern Beehive” building, located at 2131-2132 Q Street (Sacramento Bee, August 16, 1957).

18 The concept of home economic demonstrations, such as cooking classes, w as not new to the McClatchys when the new building opened in 1957. Prior to that time, demonstrations with cooking classes were being held in an auditorium building constructed in 1947 at 716 I Street. 30 The cooking demonstrations were sponsored by the Sacramento Bee and radio station KFBK.

While the main business of the company was publishing newspapers, Eleanor McClatchy certainly had a strong affinity for the arts and providing women with tools to assist them in various aspects of home economics, particularly cooking.

PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE

Establishing when a property gained significance is essential to making a determinatio n whether the building is a significant resource, and judging whether additions or alterations are part of the period in which the property became significant.

The period of significance for 2131-2132 Q Street is 1957, when the building was completed , through the 1960s, when it continued to function as originally envisioned by Eleanor McClatchy.

Commonly referred to as the “Beehive” through the 1970s, 2131-2132 Q Street was used principally by the Sacramento B ee staff as their employment development department, public relations department, employee meetings, and award ceremonies, and for public workshops and demonstrations that were sponsored by the Sacramento B ee and Radio Station KFBK. By t he 1990s, the building appears to have been used almost sole ly by the Sacramento B ee as an employment office, for company meetings, and social events.

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

The following are the general rules in which a building, suc h as 2100 Q Street or 2130 Q Street, can be found to be a significant resource under the NRHP and the CRHR under CEQA. The NRHP is the United States’ official list of districts, sites, buildings, structure s, and ob jects worthy of preservation. Overseen by the Natio nal Park Service, under the U.S. Department of the Interior, the NRHP was authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended. Its listings encompass all National Historic Landmarks and historic areas administered by the National Park Service.

NRHP guidelines for the evaluation of historic significance were developed to be flexible and to recognize the accomplishments of all who have made significant contributions to the nation’s history an d heritage. Its criteria are designed to guide fede ral agencies, state and local governments, and others in evaluating potential entries in the NRHP. For a property to be listed in or determined eligible for listing, it must be demonstrated to possess integrity and to meet at least one of the following criteria:

The quality of significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, and:

30 Sacramento Bee, Newspaper, February 25, 1947, p. 4. The I Street auditorium building has since been demolished.

19 A. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or

B. That are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or

C. That embody the distinct ive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or

D. That have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

Integrity is defined in NRHP guidance, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, as “th e ability of a property to convey its significance. To be listed in the NRHP, a property must not only be shown to be significant under the NRHP criteria, but it also must have integrity” (NPS 1990). NRHP guidance further ass erts that properties be complet ed at least 50 years ago to be considered for eligi bility. Properties completed fewer than 50 years before evaluation must be proven to be “exceptionally important” (criteria consideration G) to be considered for listing.

Under CEQA, the CRHR provides similar guidance for listing properties:

In California, the term “historical resource” includes “any object, building, structure, site, area, place, record, or manuscript which is historically or archaeologically significant, or is significant in the archite ctural, engineering, scientific, econom ic, agricultural, educational, social, political, military, or cultural annals of California” (California Public Resources Code (PRC), Section 5020.1(j)). In 1992, the California legislature established the CRHR “to be used by state and local agencies, private groups, and citizens to identify the state’s historical resources and to indicate what properties are to be protected, to the extent prudent and feasible, from substantial adverse change” (PRC Section 5024.1(a)). The criteria for listing resources on the CRHR were expressly developed to be in accordance with previously established criteria developed for listing in the NRHP, enumerated below.

According to PRC Section 5024.1(c)(1–4), a resource is considered historically significant if it (i) retains “substantial integrity,” and (ii) meets at least one of the following criteria:

(1) Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of California's history and cultural heritage.

(2) Is associated with the lives of persons important in our past.

(3) Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or represents the work of an important creative individual, or possesses high artistic values.

20 (4) Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

To properly interpret the historic value of a resource, sufficient time must have passed to obtain a scholarly perspective on the events or individ uals associated with the resource. A re source less than 50 years old may be considered for listing in the CRHR if it can be demonstrated that sufficient time has passed to understand its historical importance (see 14 California Code of Regulations (CCR) 4852(d)(2)).

The CRHR protects cultural resources by requiring evaluations of the significance of prehistoric and historic resources. The criteria for the CRHR mirror those of the NRHP, and properties listed or formally designated as eligible for listing in the NRHP are automatically listed in the CRHR, as are the state landmarks and points of interest. The CRHR also includes properties designated under local ordinances or identified through local historical resource surveys. PRC Section 21084.1 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(a) defines “historical resources.” In addition, CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(b) defines the phrase “substantial adverse change in the significance of an historical resource”; it also defines the circumstances when a project would materially impair the significance of a historical resource. Specifically, under CEQA, a project may have a significant effect on the environment if it may cause “a substantial adverse change in the significance of an historical resource” (PRC Section 21084.1; 14 CCR 15064.5(b)).

A “substantial adverse change in the significance of an historical resource” reflecting a significant effect under CEQA means “physical demolition, destruction, relocation, or alteration of the resource or its immediate surroundings such that the significance of an historical resource would be materially impaired” (14 CCR 15064.5(b)(1); PRC Section 5020.1(q)). In turn, the significance of a historical resource is materially impaired when a project does any of the following (14 CCR 15064.5(b)(2)):

(1) Demolishes or materially alters i n an adverse manner those physical characteristics of an historical resource that convey its historical significance and that justify its inclusion in, or eligibility for, inclusion in the California Register; or

(2) Demolishes or materially alters in an adverse manner those physical characteristics that account for its inclusion in a local register of historical resources pursuant to Section 5020.1(k) of the PRC or its identification in an historical resources survey meeting the requirements of Section 5024.1(g) of the PRC, unless the public agency reviewing the effects of the project establishes by a preponderance of evidence that the resource is not historically or culturally significant; or

(3) Demolishes or materially alters in an adverse manner those phy sical characteristics of a historical resource that convey its historical significance and that justify its eligibility for inclusion in the California Register as determined by a lead agency for purposes of CEQA.

21 At the local level, a property is eligible for listing in the Sacramento Register if it is 50 years old or older, and meets one or more of the following criteria (City Code Section 17.604.210):

A. It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the history of the city, region, state or nation; B. It is associated with the lives of persons significant in the city’s past; C. It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction;
D. It represents the work of an important creative individual or master; E. It possesses high artistic values; or
F. It has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in the prehistory or history of the city, the region, the state or the nation.

In addition to meeting at least one of the above criteria, the property must also:

• Have integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association. Integrity shall be judged with reference to the particular criterion or criteria specified above.

• Have significant historic or architectural worth, and its designation as a landmark is reasonable, appropriate and necessary to promote, protect and further the goals and purposes of the City Code’s Historic Preservation Chapters.

The following additional factors must also be considered:

• A structure removed from its original location is eligible if it is significant primarily for its architectural value or it is the most important surviving structure associated with a historic person or event.

• A birthplace or grave is eligible if it is that of a historical figure of outstanding importance and there is no other appropriate site or structure directly associated with his or her productive life.

• A reconstructed building is eligible if the reconstruction is historically accurate, if the structure is presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration master plan, and if no other, original structure survives that has the same association.

• Properties that are primarily commemorative in intent are eligible if design, age, tradition or symbolic value invest such properties with their own historical significance.

• Properties achieving significance within the past fifty (50) year s are eligible if such properties are of exceptional importance.

While the aforementioned regulatory guide lines appear fairly straightforward , and, to a large degree, mirror one another, establishing a property’s integrity can often be challenging, since those

22 criteria are more subjective. In order for a building or structure to be considered significant, it must retain integrity and meet one or more of the aforementio ned criteria. Simply retaining integrity is not the only pre-requisite for determining the eligibility of a property.

As described above, the NRHP traditionally recognizes a property's integrity through seven aspects or qualities: location, design, settin g, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. These qualities should be carefully articulated under the Statement of Significance . Those qua lities include:

Location

Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place whe re the historic event took place. Integrity of location refers to whether the property has been moved or relocated since its construction. A property is considered to have integrity of location if it was moved before or during its period of significance.

Design

Design is the composition of elements that constitute the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property. Although some properties ch ange through time , did the change occur during th e property’s period of significance? Have the design changes altered the historic function of the building or modified how the building was originally used?

Setting

Setting is the physical environment of a historic property that illustrates the character of the place.

Integrity of setting remains when the surroundings have not been subjected to radical change.

Integrity of setting may be compromised, for example, if it were now completely surrounded by modern development or important ancillary buildings have been removed that were an integral part of the function of the subject property.

Materials

Materials are the physical elements combined in a particular pattern or configuration to form the design of a building. Integrity of materials determines whether or not an authentic historic resource still exists, or whether the structural elements that form the bulk of the property have been removed or covered.

Workmanship

Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people d uring any given period of history. Workmanship is important because it can furnish evidence of the technology of the craft, illustrate the aesthetic principles of a historic period, and reveal individual, local, regional, or national applications of both t echnological practices and aesthetic principles.

The loss of workmanship occurs when original material is removed, covered, or modified.

23 Feeling

Feeling is the quality that a historic property has in evoking the aesthetic or historic sense of a past period of time – in most cases how the building was originally used. Although it is itself intangible, feeling is dependent upon the significant physical characteristics that convey its historic qualities.

Integrity of feeling is enhanced by the continued use of an historic building as it was when it was constructed.

Association

Association is the direct link between a property and the event or person for which the property is significant. A period appear ance or setting for a historic property is desirab le and integrity of setting, location, design, workmanship, materials, and fee ling combine to convey integrity of association.31

PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE

Establishing when a property gained significance is e ssential to making a determinatio n whether the building is a significant resource, and judging whether additions or alterations are part of the period in which the property became significant.

The period of significance for 2131-2132 Q Street is 1957, when the building was completed , through the 1960s, when it continued to function as originally envisioned by Eleanor McClatchy.

Commonly referred to as the “Beehive” through the 1970s, 2131-2132 Q Street was used principally by the Sacramento B ee staff as their employment developm ent department, public relations department, employee meetings, and award ceremonies, and for public workshops and demonstrations that were sponsored by the Sacramento B ee and Radio Station KFBK. By t he 1990s, the building appears to have been used largely by the Sacramento Bee as an employment office, for company meetings, and social events.

SIGNIFICANCE CRITERIA

All buildings and structures must retain integrity for them to be considered eligible for listing on the NRHP, CRHR, or as a designated City of Sacramento Historic Landmark. Those qualities are described as integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.

As previously described, the “Beehive” was a collaborative design by Cox & Liske, the principal architects, along with Dunbar Beck and Robert W. King, acting as designers for the interior. The building’s interior spaces were equally as important as were its exterior architectural elements given that two recognized artists/design ers, namely Beck and King played an important role in designing the interior, including providing furnishings for its employees and the public. Since its completion in 1 957, there were two substa ntial alterations. The first alteration in 1972 w as an extensive remodeling to the central open-air patio/courtyard/lounge area, enclosing it with a roof

31 USDI, National Park Service Website. National Register Bulletin: Guidelines for Documenting and Evaluating Historic Aids to Navigation to the National Register of Historic Places-Integrity. www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb34/nrb34_8.htm. Accessed September 16, 2018.

24 and altering important character defining features designed by Beck and King. The second major alteration was the addition to the northeast end of the buil ding with a wing that re shaped the building’s simple rectangle to form an “L” shape, while destroying character defining exterior wall and interior elements. La ter changes seem to focu s on plumbin g, mechanical, ele ctrical, wall surfaces, and extensive remodeling of the auditorium with new or more contemporary seating and other mechanical and acoustical features.

INTEGRITY ASSESSMENT

Location

The subject property retains its original location fronting Q and 22nd Streets.

Design

As described abov e, the most significant design alteration s to the building were the loss of the open-air patio/courtyard/lounge in 1972 and the addition to the northeast wing of the building. The open-air patio was significant not only for its size, making up over 1/3 of the entir e building, but also for its unique textured surfaces, pergola surrounding the patio, planters, and other landscaping, all of which were designed by Beck and King. The patio served as a p lace to gather before and after performances or demonstrations in the auditorium, as illustrated in Figure 12. The elimination of the open -air patio not only altered a significant interior space , but also changed the roof projection as the building is view ed from Q Street, having raised the central roof in order to accommodate the change (Figu re 11). The interior of the auditorium, another key feature of the building, has been entirely remodeled and despite its continuing use as an employee auditorium, the space appears to lack any design elements of the late 1950s. The exterior of the building retains most of the its original design elements that form the auditorium ’s exterior walls, however, the east and north elevations of the building have been compromised by the 1974 addition.

Setting

The setting of the subject property has min imal change to the north side of Q Street, with the exception of the dramatic expansion of the Sacramento Bee headquarters at 2100 Q Street to the east.

Materials

As noted under “ Design,” the interior of the building lacks integrity of materials , with the exception of the ceramic tiles on the former patio walls. The exterior of the building retains fair integrity, having compromised integrity along the east elevation, north elevation and in the center of the building where the open-air patio was converted to a closed patio with a raised roof.

Workmanship

The loss of workmanship occurs when original material is removed, covered, or modified. As with design alterations, the most apparent diminished workmanship is within the entire interior of the

25 building. The exterior of the building, with the exception of the central open-air patio and the east and north elevation, still retains most of its original workmanship.

Feeling

While the sense of place is greatly diminished in the interior of the building, the north and west elevations of the building retain good integrity, and the building reflects its mid-Century look from Q Street.

Association

The building’s association with mid-Century building design is largely apparent on the exterior of the building, with the exception of the alterations to the north and east elevation, and the loss of the open-air central patio. The interior of the building, including the auditorium, still exists, albeit extensively remodeled, and lacks association to its original design and use.

Defining the level of integrity remaining at any historic property is critical to making an informed and defensible argument about the property’s significance. While ther e are no specific numerical standards about how much integrity is needed for a property to convey its signifi cance, it is safe to say that oftentimes the perception about a property’s integrity is often inaccurate when compared with the actual degree of change documented through photographs, maps, oral history, and permit files.

26 The following pho tographs and architectural plans provide a visual context for interpreting the original building and its remaining architectural integrity.

Figure 14: Current view of the “Beehive” looking northeast at the west elevation.

Figure 15: 1956 west elevation drawing of the “Beehive.”

27 Figure 16: View looking south at the north elevation. From this elevation the 1974 addition is evident on the left, creating an “L” shape. The addition distorted the original sloping roofline of the 1956 building, incorporated stucco siding, and eliminated original fenestration and a rear entry.

Figure 17: 1956 north elevation drawing of the “Beehive.” 1974 addition

28 Figure 18: Current view of the “Beehive” looking north at the south elevation. From this view along Q Street the raised central roofline that covered the open-air patio is apparent.

Figure 19: 1956 South elevation drawing of the “Beehive.” Raised roof and former open-air patio

29 Figure 20: Current view of the “Beehive” looking southwest at the east elevation.

Figure 21: Current view of the “Beehive” looking south at the east elevation.

Redwood replaced with stucco on the original building
1974 addition

30 Figure 22: 1956 east elevation drawing of the “Beehive.”

Figure 23: Current view looking east at the main entry along Q Street with the missing roofing along the top of the veranda supported by steel columns.

Tongue and groove redwood

31 Figure 24: Current view of the extensively remodeled auditorium looking north towards the stage.

Figure 25: Typical remodeled room configuration,
including walls, flooring, and ceiling design.

32 Figure 26: Remodeled former central open-air patio looking east.

Figure 27: Remodeled former central open-air patio
looking east with an added partition wall on the left.

33 SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

The “Beehive” building was designed largely to house the home economics department of the Sacramento Bee. The building ’s rather utilitarian exterior design was once e nhanced by its modernist interior design inspired by Beck and King , who assisted Cox & Liske , the principal architects hired by Eleanor McClatchy. As previously described, the most consequential alterations to the original 1956 building design involve the elimination of the open-air patio or courtyard that once encompassed over one-third of the building ’s original massi ng, and the addition on the northeast end of the building, creating an “L” shaped massing. Few, if any, design elements remain in the interio r of the building reflecting the work of Beck and King. Two of the four elevations retain good integrity, the west and south elevations, although the raised roof in the center of the building clearly visible from Q Street is a distraction to the otherwise mid -20th Century sloping roofline, one of the hallmarks of the original building.

While Cox & Liske were prominent architects in the Sacramento region, through the years the firm expanded both staff and the range of projects they undertook in the greater Sacramento region. Not nearly as well known , Beck and King were associates who shared a common intere st in art and design. Beck is a nationally recognized artist and played an important role in thea ter design in Sacramento. King apparently worked as a des igner along with Beck and later with John Siler, himself an important figure in mid-20th century modern design in Sacramento. Unfortunately, the interior of the bui lding that featured not only unique architectural details, but also furniture, no longer reads as it was originally intended, a result of exten sive alterations and remodeling. In essence, Beck and King’s signature artistic expression of decoration and landscaping , at least in the interior, no longer exists. Most pronounced, the enclosure or filling of the open-air central patio or courtyard believed to be a key element of Beck and King, no longer exists.

Taken as a whole, the additions and alterations described in this historic resource analysis had such profound consequences on the integrity of the “Beehive,” particularly in regards to the artistic expression of its interior by Beck and King, that the building does not retain adequate integrity for it to be considered a significant resource eligible for listing on the NRHP, CRHR, or as a City of Sacramento Historical Landmark. While the building may lack integrity and may not qualify as a significant historic resource, it is recommended that the original plans for the building be retained and curated at the Center for Sacramento History where other archival information has been archived regarding the McClatchy Company for future research, particularly the lives and work of Beck and King. If you have any questions or comments regarding th e content of the study or my conclusions, please contact me.

Respectfully,

Dana E. Supernowicz, M.A., RPA

Attachments: DPR 523A – Primary Record
DPR 523B – Building, Structure, and Object Record

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #____________________________________ Primary #: ____________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # _______________________________________ HRI # ____________________________________________ PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial ____________________________________ Trinomial _____________________________________ NRHP Status Code _____________________________ NRHP Status Code: ______________________________ Other Listings _____________________________________
Other Listings _________________________________
Review Code ____ Reviewer _________ Date _______
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DPR 523A *Required Information

P1. Other Identifier: APN 007-0321-020-0000
*P2. Location:  Not for Publication ◼ Unrestricted *a. County: Sacramento *b. USGS 7.5’ Quad: Sacramento West, CA 7.5’ 1994
c. Address: 2131-2132 Q Street City: Sacramento Zip: 95816 d. UTM:
*e. Other Locational Data: The subject property, located at 2131-2132 Q Street, is bordered on the south by Q Street and on the east by 22nd Street.
*P3a. Description:

*P3b. Resource Attributes: HP3 - Commercial building
*P4. Resources Present: ◼ Building  Structure  Object  Site  District  Element of District

P5b. Description of Photo: Looking north at
2131-2132 Q Street from Q Street.
*P6. Date Constructed/Age: ◼ Historic
1956, completed 1957 . Sacramento Bee newspaper;
architectural plans.
*P7. Owner and Address : Shopoff Realty
Investments, L.P. 2 Park Plaza, Suite 700 , Irvine, CA 92614.
*P8. Recorded by: Dana E. Supernowicz,
Architectural Historian, Historic Resource Associat es, 3142 Bird Rock Road, Pebble Beach, CA 93953.
*P9. Date Recorded: March 1, 2021
*P10. Type of Survey: ◼ Architectural
Describe: Architectural Recordation and Evaluation per
CEQA.
*P11. Report Citation: Historic Resource Analysis
Study of 2131-2132 Q Street , Sacramento, Sacramento
County, California 95816. Prepared for Christian
Charbonnet, 2100 Q Street Owner, LLC , 2 Park Plaza,
Suite 700 , Irvine, CA 92614 . P repared by Historic
Resource Associates, 3142 Bird Rock Road, Pebble
Beach, CA 93953. March 2021.

*Attachments: Building, Structure, and Object Record

P5a. Photograph or Drawing (Photograph required for buildings, structures, and objects.)

Historic photographs, including aerial photographs, newspaper articles, and o ther archival ma terials were important in establishing dates of construction , and later alt erations for 2131-2132 Q Street. Of particular importance were the original architectural plans of the “Beehive” curated by the Sacramento Bee . The original design for th e bu ilding called for an auditorium with a stage, kitchen, service hall, large open -air patio, lounge office, woman ’s and men ’s bathrooms, and a general office. Ancillary features include a n equipment testing ar ea, janitorial room, heater room, air conditi oning room vestibule, and a hall (refer to Primary Record, Page 2 of 24).

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #____________________________________ Primary #: ____________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # _______________________________________ HRI # ____________________________________________ PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial ____________________________________ Trinomial _____________________________________ NRHP Status Code _____________________________ NRHP Status Code: ______________________________ Other Listings _____________________________________
Other Listings _________________________________
Review Code ____ Reviewer _________ Date _______
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DPR 523A *Required Information

The subject property is best described as a single-story, wood and masonry asymmetric mid-20th Century modern commercial building with fairly substantial alterations. While the building ’s original massing was primarily r ectangular, an addition in 1974 reshaped the building forming an “L” with a wing added to the northeast elevation. The partial concrete -block auditorium is designed with a short parapet fl at roof, having a trapezoidal shape that rises above the remainder o f the building that ext ends to the ea st towards 22 nd Street with an a rticulated flat roof. A steel pole supported veranda wraps around the west elevation extending to the south elevation where it continues as part of the existing flat sloping roofline to the east. The roof of the veranda along Q Street has been removed. Plate glass windows vary ing in dimension w ith the sloping roofline run along the so uth elevation wall of what was the open -air patio or lounge terminating at the secondary entrance along Q S treet. There are no windows on the auditorium , although the main pu blic entrance to the auditorium is along Q Street evidence by two solid steel doors with one side light and one top light. While the original louvered east elevation windows remain, the 1974 addition features narrow vertical rectangular plate glass windows that continue around the rear of the building along the alcove which faces west.

Windows appear to have been added to the orig inal rear or north wall of the open -air patio. While the audit orium three exterior walls are buil t of concrete block, the exterior walls of the remaining parts of the building were orig inally clad with narrow beveled, horizontal commercial grade redwood, although the plans show vertical tongue and groove redwood. The east elevation retains some of the original redwood exterior siding , however, the 1974 addition is clad with stucco. The building foundation is raised well-above ground level, which requires concrete stairs and a handicapped access ramp to enter the building.

In 1972, the first of the major additions, alterations focused largely on the open -air patio, enclosing it with a solid roof that extends above the former flat roof, which can be clearly seen from Q Street, together with ext ensive interior alteratio ns that included removing existing redwood siding and replacing it with wallboard, re moving an existing wall and door, removing an existing concrete platform, stairs, and metal railing, installing new doors and frames, installing cement plaster, wire fabri c, and building paper over existing sheathing, and relocating 2 existing 24 ” x 18 ” louvers to the n orth wall of the building. Other alterations included closing openings along the east wall with ¾” and 5/8” drywall, removing concrete block walls earth fill and plantings, installing a new 4” concrete slab over a vapor barrier and similar concrete fill over entire court or lounge area to permit a carpet to be laid down, removing planter boxes on the edge of the courtyard or lounge area, removing existing glaz ing, sliding glass doors, frames, and wood trim along the south courtyard or patio wall, and installing new trip around posts.

The rear or north elevation walls were demolished with the 1974 wing addition , which created a general office, mechanical room, and smaller office. Today, the building has three major entries with different ad dresses – the auditorium having two entries from the west or southwest along Q Street (2131 Q St reet), a s econdary entrance along Q Street further east (2132 Q Street) , another entrance along the east elevation of the building from 22nd Street leading into the 1974 wing addition, and another entrance on the north side of the 1974 wing addition.

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # ____________________________________ Primary #:

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# ________________________________________ HRI#:

BUILDING, STRUCTURE & OBJECT RECORD

DPR 523B *Required Information

B1. Historic Name: Beehive
B2. Common Name: Beehive
B3. Original Use: Auditorium/Office B4. Present Use: Vacant *B5. Architectural Style: Modern
*B6. Construction History: According to the architectural plans and newspaper accounts the building w as designed in 1956, completed in 1957, and had two major alterations, one in 1972 that roofed and remodeled the former central open-air patio, and in 1974 when an addition was added to the northeast elevation of the building. Other modernization and renovation occurred in later years to the interior of the building.
*B7. Moved? ◼ No  Yes  Unknown Date: N/A Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: Across Q Street to the south is the headquarters for the Sacramento Bee newspaper.

B9a. Architect: Cox & Liske with assistance from Dunbar Beck & Robert King, Associates B9b. Builder: Lawrence Construction Company
*B10. Significance: Theme: Mid-20th Century Modern Commercial Architecture Area: Sacramento Period of Significance: 1957 Property Type: Auditorium/office Building Applicable Criteria: A, B and C

The historic context for 2131-2132 Q Street Sacramento includes the life and accomplishments of the McClatchy family , their role in journalism and philanthropy in the greater Sacramento region, and Eleanor McClatchy’s close association with Dunbar Beck, which continued for many years following completion of building. Much of the following information was extracted from the Center for Sacramento History’s archival collection, which fortunately included a gift from the vault of the Sacramento Bee in 2005, transferring to the Center over forty linear feet of archival material documenting company activities throughout the 20t h Century, including 288 bound newspaper volumes covering the first 73 years of publication for the Sacramento Bee in nearly its entirety; a broad array of audiovisual materials and artifacts, including various audio and video tapes of broadcast advertising for the company ; a 35 millimeter film reel documenting an interview with former Chief Justice Earl Warren (1891 -1974) in its original shipping container; and printing press slugs and other company memorabilia to round out its diverse content s (Center for Sacramento History Online Website 2020) (refer to BSO, Page 4 of 24).

B11. Additional Resource Attributes: N/A

B12. References: Center for Sacramento History Online Website. Sacramento Bee, Archival Collection Catalog No. 2005/054/0001, www.sacramento.pastperfectonline.com/archive/F26A3A79-F096-4A4E-B105-948632953718, Accessed November 13, 2020 ; Chicago Tribune, Newspaper. “D eath of Dunbar Beck.” February 26, 1986 ; Marwick, Bruce, personal communication, November 19, 2020 ; Online Archive of California. Guide to the Nancy Lawrence Family Papers, 1841 -2010, Sacramento Bee, new spaper online archives; Sotheby’s Auctions. “Dunbar Beck -Biographical Sketch,” March 4, 200 9; United States Department of the Interior. Archaeology and Historic Preservation: Secretary of the Interiors Standards and Guidelines. Federal Register Part IV, 48(2):44716 -44742. Annotated version showing later technical and officially adopted revisions available from the National Park Service’s preservation laws, regulation s, and standards website at http://cr.nps.gov/local-law/arch_stnds_0.htm. 1983; United States Department of the In terior. National Register Bulletin 15: Ho w to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. National Park Service. n.d.; United States Geological Service (USGS).

B13. Remarks: None Remarks: None
B14. Evaluator: Dana E. Supernowicz, Architectural Historian, Historic Resource Associates, 3142 Bird Rock Road, Pebble Beach, CA 93953.

Date of Evaluation: March 2021
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH (Google Earth 2021)

(This space reserved for official comments.)

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # ____________________________________ Primary #:

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# ________________________________________ HRI#:

BUILDING, STRUCTURE & OBJECT RECORD

DPR 523B *Required Information

*B10. Significance: (Continued):

The McClatchy Company is a prominent newspaper and internet publisher headquartered in Sacramento, California. Once also the owner of numerous radio and te levision stations, the McClatchy Company currently owns 32 daily and 17 community newspapers, as well as its internet subsidiary, McClatchy Interactive. The McClatchy Company also has interests in Newsprint Ventures, Inc., which operates the Ponderay Newsp rint Company, and a regional wire service, the Scripps -McClatchy Western News Service. While it has been associated with the same family for nearly 150 years, the McClatchy Company is a publicly - traded corporation, and is listed on the New York Stock Excha nge under the symbol MNI (Center for Sacramento History Online Website 2020).

Although its first official incarnation, James McClatchy and Co mpany, was no t formed until 1872, the roots of the McClatchy Company lie in the formation of Sacramento's Daily Bee in 1857. First published on February 3, 1857 as a morning newspaper, the Daily Bee was founded by L.C. Chandler, L.P. Davis, John Church, and W.H. Tobey, and initially edited by John Rollin Ridge. Less than three months later, on April 6, 1857, the Daily Bee became an evening newspaper, although it did n ot adopt the Evening Bee moniker until December 1890; the Evening Bee was not re-named the Sacramento Bee until March 1908. In July of 1857, Ridge retired from the Daily Bee, and James McClatchy, a writer for the paper whose family name would henceforth be associated with the Bee, took over as the newspaper's editor (Center for Sacramento History Online Website 2020).

A native of Ireland, James McClatchy ( 1824-1883) immigrated to the United States in 1840, and spent the next eight years in New York, where he became a member of the editorial staff of Horace Greeley's New York Tribune . McClatchy moved west to Sacramento in 1849 , reportedly as a correspondent for the Tribune, and prior to working for the Daily Bee had been associated with no less than six other area newspapers including the Placer Times , the Sacramento Transcript , the Settlers and Miners Tribune, the Californian, the Daily Democratic State Journal, and the Daily Times. In 1866, McClatchy became a part owner of the Daily Bee , and by 1872, he was majority owner of the newspaper. Aside from a two years hiatus to serve as Sheriff of Sacramento, McClatchy served as editor for the Bee until his de ath in 188 3 (Center for Sacramento History Online W ebsite 2020).

After his death, James McClatchy's widow, Charlotte McClatchy (1840 -1916), bought out the only remaining partner in the Daily Bee, John Francis Sheehan, in 1884, giving her full ownership of the newspaper; she then turned over the newspaper 's operations to her two sons, Charles Kenny (C.K.) and Valentine Stuart (V.S.) McClatchy. The McClatchy sons subsequently divided responsibilities at the new spaper in such a way that V.S. (1857 -1938) became publisher of the newspaper, in charge of all its financial matters, and his younger brother C.K. (1858 -1936), who at the time of his father's death had already been working at the Daily Bee for eight years, became the newspaper's editor. This arrangement lasted for nearly forty years, until C.K. bought out his brother in 1923 to become sole owner of the newspaper (Center for Sacramento History Online Website 2020).

Many changes came about at the Evening Bee during the years of the McClatchy brothers' partne rship, including the pair of revisions to the newspaper's title mentioned previously. In what was to be the first of many corporate name changes, subsidiary formations, and mergers, the James McClatchy Co mpany was formed in 1898 for the purpose of owning t itle to the new Evening Bee building at 911 7th Street, which was completed in 1901. The McClatchy brothers' partnership also oversaw the licensing and operation of the company's first radio station from 1921 -1922, the short -lived KVQ of Sacramento. In add ition, the McClatchy Company started its second newspaper, the Fresno Bee , in October 1922. Despite these advancements, it was agreed that the partnership would be dissolved though a blind auction, with C.K., after outbidding his brother, assuming control of the company in September 1923 (Center for Sacramento History Online Website 2020).

Already well-known for his editorial capacity, including his widely -read "Private Thinks" columns that were later collected in a single volume, C.K.'s tenure as sole owner of the McClatchy Company was also marked by the perhaps the peak of its e xpansion and influence. In collaboration with his son, Carlos (1892 -1933), C.K. further extended the company's budding newspaper conglomeration, as well as making a reappearance in the broadcasting industry. Over a span of six yea rs, the McClatchy Company took over operations of five radio stations: KFBK, Sacramento and KMJ, Fresno in 1925; KWG, Stockton and KERN, Bakersfield in 1930; and KOH, Reno in 1931. The company also began operating its third newspaper, the Modesto News-Herald, in August 1927, changing its name to the Modesto Bee in July 1933 (Center for Sacramento History Online Website 2020).

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # ____________________________________ Primary #:

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# ________________________________________ HRI#:

BUILDING, STRUCTURE & OBJECT RECORD

DPR 523B *Required Information

*B10. Significance: (Continued):

Although the company was thriving, the death of Carlos , who was slated to succeed C.K. as head of the McClatchy Company , in 1933 brought about some uncertainty concerning its future leadership. These uncerta inties were compounded over the next few years by C.K.'s age and failing health. Lacking another family member capable of taking over the helm, C.K. decided to enlist his youngest daughter, Eleanor (1895 -1980), a playwright and the atre producer living in N ew York; although Eleanor at first resisted the proposal, when her father took ill in 1936, she acquiesced. By this time, C.K. had also hand -chosen Walter P. Jones as his successor as editor of the newspapers, marking the first tim e in nearly eighty years that a McClatchy did not perform these duties.

When C.K. died in April 1936, Eleanor became president of the McClatchy Company, a position that she held for over forty years, ending in 1978 (Center for Sacramento History Online Website 2020).

Although not experienced in the newspa per business, Eleanor pr oved to be an adept leader for the company, loyal to both her father's editorial principles and her brother's interest in expansion into other media. Within months of C.K.'s death, the Mc Clatchy Broadcasting Company was founded to f urther organize the comp any's burgeoning radio business; although the broadcasting company would be absorbed by McClatchy Newspapers in 1957, its tenure as administrator of the company's broadcasting interests would see the company's growth into FM radio w ith the launches of KFBK -FM in 1947, KERN -FM and KBEE -FM in 1948, and KMJ -FM in 1949. The McClatchy Broadcasting Company also directed the purchase of another AM radio station in Modesto, KBOX, which subsequently had its call letters changed to KBEE, and t he company's initial for ay into television with the founding of KMJ -TV in 1953; later, in 1964, the McClatchy Company bought a second television station, KOVR in Sacramento. In addition to these developments, in 1950 the Sacramento Bee began construction of a new building at the corner of Q and 21st Streets, which was also to serve as the McClatchy Company's headquarters (Center for Sacramento History Online Website 2020).

With the death of Walter Jones in 1974, Eleanor McClatchy returned to within the family ranks for a successor, selecting her nephew (Carlos' son), C.K. (1927-1989), as the new editor of the newspapers. Four years later, in 1978, Eleanor's health began to fail, and the younger C.K. took over as president of the McClatchy Company. In an interesting parallel to events nearly one hundred year s pr ior (following James McClatchy's death), C.K.'s older brother, also named James (1920 -2006), became the chairman of the board of directors for the McClatchy Company in 1980 (Center for Sacramento History Online Website 2020).

Although most of the McClatchy Broadcasting Company's interests, as well as KOVR, remained with th e company, the McClatchy Company's flagship newspaper chain remained at the same number when C.K. took over as it had for over fifty years.

Over the next ten years, C.K. would drastically alter the company's emphasis, selling off all of its remaining broadcasting interests and doubling the number of newspapers it published: in 1979, the McClatchy Company bought the Anchorage Daily News and Washington State's Tri-City Herald; in 1986, the company purchased Tacoma, Washington's News Tribune. C.K. also presided over the McClatchy Company's transition into a publicly -traded company in 1988 (Center for Sacramento History Online Website 2020).

In 1989, C.K. passed away suddenly. Although his brother, James, had already been named the McClatchy Company's publisher in 1987, for the first time in company history a person outside the McClatchy family, Erwin Potts, became head of the company.

Under Potts' direction, the company extended the reach of its newspaper chain into the so uthern states, buying newspapers in North Carolina and South Caroli na. After Potts retirement in 1996, the current leader of the company, Gary Pruitt, took over; in the years since Pruitt's takeover, the company has purchased newspapers in Minnesota and Ca lifornia, as well as internet publishing companies, and in 2006 it purchased the entire Knight Ridder chain of newspapers, adding twenty daily newspapers to its holdings. Despite his family's more limited involvement in the company of late, James McClatchy continued to serve as publisher of the McClatchy Company until his death in 2006. The company's headquarters remain ed in Sacramento at 2100 Q Street, the same location as its flagship newspaper, the Sacramento Bee (Center for Sacramento History Online Website 2020).

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # ____________________________________ Primary #:

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# ________________________________________ HRI#:

BUILDING, STRUCTURE & OBJECT RECORD

DPR 523B *Required Information

*B10. Significance: (Continued):

As reported in the Sacramento Business Journal, t o reduce its debt, locally based media company The McClat chy Company entered a sale-leaseback deal for the Sacramento Bee building at 2100 Q. Street McClatchy with Shopoff Advisors LP, an affiliate of Irvine -based Shopoff Realty Investments, a real estate investment company. The sale was expected to close in the second quarter of 2017. Simultaneously with the closing of the sale, McClatchy w ould enter into a “15-year lease with Shopoff to leaseback the real property with initial a nnual lease payments of approximately $4.6 million," according to a news release fro m McClatchy. The Sacramento Bee, which McClatchy owns, pegged the deal's value at around $51 million. The transaction includes the Bee building and surrounding land and b uildings. It does not include a parking garage that McClatchy sold to Sotiris Kolokotronis. McClatchy also announced that it had entered a "separate but similar" sale -leaseback deal for property associated with The State, a South Carolina newspaper it owns. That deal is with a separate buyer. The news release collectively valued the two deals at $67.8 million (Center for Sacramento History Online Website 2020).

Elaine Lintec um, McClatchy’s CFO, explained in the news release that the sale-leaseback transactions were one more step in moving forward with their real estate monetization eff orts to redeploy their capital for better uses for the benefit of the shareholders and bondh olders by reducing debt. Last year, McClatchy announced plans to market some of its buildings to help reduce the company's debt. In October 2016, McClatchy reported a loss of $9.8 milli on for its fiscal third quarter, which ended September 25th, as newspaper advertising revenu e continued to decline. Revenue for the quarter was $234.7 million, down from $251.2 million in the third quarter of 2015. Total advertising revenue came in at $133 .2 million, down about 11 percent from the year before. McClatchy operates media companies i n 29 U.S. markets across 14 states (Sorich, Sonia. Sacramento Business Journal, “McClatchy sells Sacramento Bee building in sale-leaseback deal.” January 11, 2017).

2131-2132 Q Street , in particular, reflects the creativity of Eleanor McClatchy, C. K’s youngest daughter (1895-1980), a playwright and theatre producer living in New York , and her long -standing relationship with Dunbar Bec k. When C.K. died in April 1936, Eleanor became president of the McClatchy Company, a position that she held for over forty years, ending i n 1978.

Construction History

In the 1940s, Eleanor McClatchy assumed the reins of the company as president and directed the planning and construction of the new headquarters building on 21st Street and 2131-2132 Q Street in the early 1950s. Lockwood Greene, Engineers, Inc., as well as Cox & Liske, Archit ects were hired to de sign and construct both b uildings (Sacramento Bee , Newspaper, Sacramento, CA, August 27, 1952 , p.25 ). Lockwood Greene had offices in Boston, Spartanburg, New York, and Montre al. They reportedly specialized in building newspaper plants throughout the United States (Sacramento Bee, Newspaper, Sacramento, CA, May 13, 1952, p. 29 ). The Lawrence Construction Company of Sacramento served as th e principal buildi ng contractor for the new Bee office at 2100 Q Street and later in 1956 fo r the “Beehive” building at 2131 -2132 Q Street (Sacramento Bee , Newspaper, Sacramento, CA, May 13, 1952, p. 38).

Among the many buildings constructed by the Lawrence Construction Company was Johnson’s Del Prado Restaurant, Shop and Stop Market at 60 th and 14th Avenue, and the American Trust Company Building (Sacramento Bee, Newspaper, Sacramento, CA, May 13, 1952, p. 48 ). Carl Kingsley Lawrence was born on February 6, 1901, in York in the province of Ontario, Canada. He later became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Both of his parents were also born in Ontario. His father, Charles Henry Lawrence, worked at variou s times in his life as a minister, a laborer in a lumber yard, and a contractor. His mother was Matilda (Hutchinson) Lawrence.

State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # ____________________________________ Primary #:

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# ________________________________________ HRI#:

BUILDING, STRUCTURE & OBJECT RECORD

DPR 523B *Required Information

*B10. Significance: (Continued):

Carl Lawrence had one younger sister, Bernice Isa bel (Mitchell) Law rence. Carl Lawrence attended UC Berkeley and graduated in 192 3. He became an architect and a contractor in the building industry. After living in Oakland, California, he moved to Sacramento. He was the owner of Lawrence Construction Comp any, a prominent b uilding company in the Sacramento area during the 1950s and 19 60s (Online Archive of California. Guide to the Nancy Lawrence Family Papers, 1841-2010, Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento Room ). Carl married Marjorie Dale McGlashan, and the couple had three children together: Linda Margaret Lawrence, Nancy Kathryn Lawrence, and Patricia Kingsley Lawrence. Carl became president of the Greater Sacramento Chamber of Commerce in 1955. He was a member of the Sutter Club. He died on S eptember 17, 1974 in Sacramento. Lawrence Construction Company was a prominent building company in the Sacramento area during the 1950s a nd 1960s, and Lawrence was president of the Greater Sacramento Chamber of Comme rce. His wife Marjorie was active in a number of local clubs and associations, many of which supported the arts in the Sacramento area, and his daughters, Linda and Nancy , attended C.K.

McClatchy High School (Online Archive of California. Guide to the Nancy Lawrence Family Papers, 1 841-2010, Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento Room).

2131-2132 Q Street lies immediately to the north of 2100 Q Street, across Q Street bordered on the east by 22 nd Street. As previously noted, the building was designed by Sacramento architects Cox & Liske, with design assistance from Dunbar Beck and Robert W. King, Associates. The principal architect for the firm was Whitson W. Cox, AIA.

Whitson “Whit” Cox graduated from the U niversity of Oregon’s architecture program in 1948. Cox was directly informed by his time in Lawrence Hall and his ment or, the renowned architect and educator W. R. B. Willcox. Cox spent thirty years with Cox, Liske, and later Lionakis & Beaumont, Architects and Engineers, a firm he cofounded in Sacramento, California. The firm reportedly grew to be one o f the largest in N orthern California, employing more than thirty architects and engineers and producing $30-40 million in annual construction volume. The group’s biggest projects include the Sacramento Bee headquarters and numerous buildings for Pacific Te lephone. Cox worked as an architect and planner with a strong emphasis on government buildings, especially institutions of higher education, including many schools in the California state college and university system.

Over the years, Cox would constantly reaffirm his belie f in public buildings as sacred space s for art, both in his capacity as an architect for his own firm and during future pursuits working for the California government. This emphasis on the necessary connection of art and architecture had much to do with Co x’s 1983 nomination to the position o f California State Architect. He served as a co -administrator of “The Art in Public Buildings ” program with the California Arts Council, as well as acting as a juror for numerous art and architecture organizations, all while overseeing a staff of 300 who offe red designing and management services for more than 400 projects per year throughout the state. Of those contracts, 60 to 70 percent went to California architects, which led Cox to become highly kn owledgeable about t he work of his peers. As a result, Cox w as also well regarded by that same peer group. Additionally, he was an accomplished visual artist. His watercolor paintings have been exhibited in many national and European traveling exhibits, and his work was shown in exhibits throughout Northern Califor nia. After his tenure as state architect ended in 1986, Cox returned to work in his new private consulting practice, Whitson Cox, FAIA. He a lso became a charter member of the A&AA Board of Visitors , where he voluntee red his time to advocate for the best in terest of the school. This position included a number of tasks, such as advising deans, strengthening alumni networks in California, and assisting with fundraising efforts. Continuing to grow into the 1960’s, em ployees Cox & Liske expanded the firm to include Klyne G. Beaumont, Howard Engberg, and George Lionakis were added as partners, creating Liske, Lionakis, Beaumont & Engberg, today known as “Lionakis.” Cox passed away in 2007 at the age of 86 (University of Oregon, School of Ar chitecture and Environment. “Whitson Cox 1943 &”1948.” https://archenvironment.uoregon.edu/whitson -cox-1943-48, accessed February 24, 2021).

Dunbar Beck who assisted Cox on the “Beehive” building was a multi-talented artist, muralist, teacher, interior designer, as well as a painter. Born in Ohio, he received his BFA from Yale University in 1926 and was invited to teach there during the fo llowing academic ye ar. In 1927, he won the prestigious Prix de Ro me for his painting "Adoration" and spent the following three years studying at the American Academy in Rome and traveling extensively in Europe and Africa. On his return to New York in 1930, he accepted teachi ng positions, first at Columbia and then at Co oper Union. He also began receiving several important commissions for murals, altar paintings , and portraits. Among them were a mural for the lobby of Radio City Music Hall in 1934 and a frieze for the case of a grand piano from C.F. Theodore Steinway.

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Not just any piano, this one was meant as a gift from Steinway & Sons to President Franklin Roosevelt for the White House and i t was decorated in gold leaf, its subject, five forms of music ind igenous to America. It is still in the White House. In the late 1930s, Eleanor McClatchy, his patron in Sacramento, persuaded Beck to live and work permanently in Sacramento, California and from then on, he spent most of his time on the west coast (Chicago Tribune, Newspaper. “Death of Dunbar Beck.” February 26, 1986; Sotheby’s Auctions. “Dunbar Beck -Biographical Sketch,” March 4, 2009 ). Upon the death of Dunbar Beck in 1986, the Sacramento Bee printed a tribute to his lifelong accomplishments , particularly his contributions to Sacramento Civic Theater and Theater Company (Sacramento Bee , Newspaper, February 26, 1986 ). According to Bruc e Marwick , preservation chair of Sacramento Art Deco Society, Beck career was largely as an artist. Beck’s fine art is recognized internationally and his work in theater design is well documented in Sacramento, serving as one of the principal designers of the Music Circus building in the city (Bruce Marwick, personal communication, November 19, 2020). In 1950, Beck was apparently also responsible for designing the Eaglet Theater at 15th and H Street (Sacramento Bee, newspaper, June 13, 1950, p. 1 (courtesy of Bruce Marwick).

Beck’s associate Robert W. King is lesser known than Beck. According to newspaper accounts and other data, King grew up in Manhattan, his father a successful building engineer. After his father’s death in 1946, King’s mother moved to Portland, Oregon.

King and Beck were friends or perhaps even colleagues while living in New York. Certainly, both men shared common interests in art and design. By the 1950s both men had relocated to Sacrament o and formed a partnership evidenced by their collaboration in design ing t he interior of the “Beehive” for Eleanor McClatchy and Whitson Cox. According to Sacramento business directories, b y 1958, King is listed as working for John Siler Interiors in Sacra mento. Siler, himself, is an important designer working in Sacramento from the 1950s through the 1980s. Siler garnered notoriety for his designs of Streng home interiors in Sacramento (United States Federal Census 1930-1940; Sacramento City Directories 1950 -1960; Dave Weinstein. “John Siler’s Touch: With bright colors and quirky details, this designer’s Streng is an intriguing “Idea House.” https://www.eichlernetwork.com/article/john-silers-touch, accessed February 25, 2021).

As previously described, the “Beehive” building was commissioned by the McClatchy Company to house its home economics unit, overseen by Eleanor McClatchy, which included the Katherine Kitchen Home Economics staff housed in an office, along with two kitchens, the Sacramento Bee’s pattern service, and an auditorium with a seating capacity of 100 persons The auditorium was to be used for home econom ics demonstrations and activities of the public relatio ns department of the McClatchy Newspapers and McClatchy Broadcasting Company. Construction of the building began in December 19 56 with completion in 1957. According to the building permit, which was is sued in 1956, the costs for building the structure were estimated at $90,000, with 4,000 square feet of floor space and 3,000 square feet of interior patio (Sacramento Bee . Newspaper, Sacramento, CA, December 4, 1956, page 2 ). Based up on the original architectural plans, t he open -air patio was subsequently enclosed and remodeled to form a gathering space for meetings in 1972). If true, the patio area would have encompassed over 70 percent of the entire building footprint. Original blue prints su ggest the patio likely covered over one-third of the gross square foot age of the original building (Figures 1-9).

As described by the Sacramento Bee on August 16, 1957 , while Cox & Liske acted as the principal architects, the interior and furnishing of the building w ere designed by Dunbar Beck and Robert W. King (Sacramento Bee. Newspaper, Sacramento, CA, December 4, 1956, page 2 ). The 1972 and the 1974 alt erations were carried out by Cox, Liske, Lionakis & Beaumont, Architects and Engineers. The Lawrence Construction Company served as the general contractor for the original rectangular-shaped one- story concrete block and wood frame building. The floors were to be textured concrete and plastic tile, while the wall s (interior) were reportedly finished with plastic coverings and decorative designs. The building was treated acousticall y and air conditioned.

An interior inspection of the building identified the now enclosed open patio walls as gl azed ceramic tiles rather than “plastic,” as referenced in the Sacramento Bee article. No other “decorative” designs wer e identified in the interior of the building , a result of extensive remodeling beginning in the 1970s.

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Figure 1: 1956 Architectural Plot Plan (Cox & Liske, principal architects)

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Figure 2: 1956 Architectural Plot Plan (Cox & Liske, principal architects).

Figure 3: Illustration of 2131-2132 Q Street from the Sacramento Bee, December 4, 1956. Note the roof opening in the center of the building that formed the interior patio, which is now covered by a raised roof.

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Figure 4: View looking east at 2131-2132 Q Street (Sacramento Bee, August 16, 1957).

Figure 5: Similar view as Figure 4, looking east. Note that the beams or perhaps roof connecting the steel frame of the veranda are missing along the Q Street elevation, and a shed storage unit was added to the west elevation attached to the concrete block wall and left of the entry doors.

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Figure 6: 3D view of 2131-2132 Q Street looking northeast and illustrating the configuration of the building today as compared to the original design in 1956 (Figure 1-2). Note the northeast addition completed in 1974 and the roofing over of the open patio or courtyard in 1972.

Figure 7: Interior view of the extensively converted and remodeled former open-air patio looking southwest towards Q Street.

1974 Addition
Enclosed open-air patio
Auditorium

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Figure 8: Present-day view of 2131-2132 Q Street,
looking north towards the building from Q Street.

Figure 9: Sacramento Bee newspaper article photograph of the open-air central patio in the center of the “Beehive” (Sacramento Bee Newspaper, August 21, 1957). Note the pergola extending from the roof eaves that once created shade and shadows in the patio (courtesy of Bruck Marwick, Sacramento, California).

Raised roof and the location of the former patio

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Figure 10: Opening of the “Modern Beehive” building,
located at 2131-2132 Q Street (Sacramento Bee, August 16, 1957).

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The concept of home economic demonstrations, such as cooking classes, w as not new to the McClatchy s when the new building opened in 1957. Prior to that time, demonstrations with cooking classes were being held in an auditorium building constructed in 1947 at 716 I Street (Sacramento Bee , Newspaper, Februa ry 25, 1947, p. 4 ). The I Street auditorium building has since been demolished. The cooking demonstrations were sponsored by the Sacramento Bee and radio station KFBK. While the main business of the company was publishing newspapers, Eleanor McClatchy certainly had a strong affinity for the arts and providing women with tools to assist them in various aspects of home economics, particularly cooking.

PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE

Establishing when a property gained significance is essential to making a determinatio n whether the b uilding is a significant resource, and judging whether additions or alterations are part of the period in which the property became significant.

The period of significance for 2131-2132 Q Street is 1957 , when the building was completed , through the 1960s , when it continued to function as orig inally envisioned by Eleanor McClat chy. Commonly referred to as the “Beehive” through the 1970s, 2131-2132 Q Street was used principally by the Sacramento B ee staff as their employment development department, public relations d epartment, employee meetings, and award ceremonies, and for public workshops and demonstrations that were sponsored by the Sacramento Bee and Radio Station KFBK. By t he 1990s, the building appears to have been used almost solely by the Sacramento Bee as an employment office, for company meetings, and social events.

All buildings and structures must retain integrity for them to be considered eligible for listing on the N RHP, CRHR, or as a designated City of Sacramento Historic L andmark. Those qualities are described as integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.

As previously described, the “Beehive” was a collaborative design by Cox & Liske, the principal architects, alon g with Du nbar Beck and Robert W. King, acting as designers for the interior. The building’s interior spaces were equally as important as were its exterior architectural elements given that two recognized artists/design ers, namely Beck and King played an important role in designing the i nterior, including providing furnishing s for its empl oyees and the public. Since its completion in 1957, there were two substantial alterations. The first alteration in 1972 was an extensive remodeling to the central open-air patio/courtyard/lounge area, enclosing it w ith a roof and altering important character defining features designed by Beck and King. The second major alteration was the addition to the northeast end of the buil ding with a wing that re shaped the building ’s simple rectangle to form an “L” shape, while destroying character defining exterior wall and interior elements. Later changes seem to focu s on plumbing, mechanical, ele ctrical, wall surfaces, and e xtensive rem odeling of the auditorium with new or more contemporary seating and other mechanical and acoustical features.

INTEGRITY ASSESSMENT

Location

The subject property retains its original location fronting Q and 22nd Streets.

Design

As described above, the most significant design alterations to the building were the loss of the open-air patio/courtyard/lounge in 1972 and the addition to the northeast wing of the building . The open-air patio was significant not only for its size , making up over 1/3 of the entir e building, but also for its unique textured surfaces , pergola surrounding the patio, planters, and other landscaping, all of which were designed by Beck and King. The patio served as a place to gather before and after performances or demonstrations in the auditorium, as illustrated in Figure 12. The elimination of the open -air patio not only altered a significant interior space, but also changed the roof projection as the building is view ed from Q Street, having raised the central roof in order to accommodate th e change ( Figure 8-9). The interior of the auditorium, another key feature of the building , has been entirely remodeled and despite its continuing use as an employee auditorium, the space appears to lack any design elements of the late 1950s. The exterior of the building retains most of the its original design elements that form the auditorium ’s exterior walls, however, the east and north elevations of the building have been compromised by the 1974 addition.

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*B10. Significance: (Continued):

Setting

The setting of the subject property has min imal change to the north side of Q Street, with the exception of the dramatic expansion of the Sacramento Bee headquarters at 2100 Q Street to the east.

Materials

As noted under “ Design,” the interior of the building lacks integrity of materials , with the exception of the ceramic tiles on the former patio walls. The exterior of the building retains fair integrity, having compromised integrity along the east elevation, north elevation and in the center of the building where the open-air patio was converted to a closed patio with a raised roof.

Workmanship

The loss of workmanship occurs when original material is removed, covered, or modified. As with design alterations, the most apparent diminished workmanship is within the entire interior of the building. The exterior of the building, with th e exception of the central open-air patio and the east and north elevation, still retains most of its original workmanship.

Feeling

While the sense of place is greatly diminished in the interior of the building, the north and west elevatio ns of the buil ding retain good integrity, and the building reflects its mid-Century look from Q Street.

Association

The building’s association with mid-Century building design is largely apparent on the exterior of the building, with the exception of the alterations to the north and east elevation, and the loss of the open -air central patio. The interior of the building , including the auditorium, still exists, albeit extensively remodeled, and lacks association to its original design and use.

Defining the level of i ntegrity remaining at any historic property is critical to making an informed and defensible argument about the property’s significance. While ther e are no specific numerical standards about how much integrity is needed for a property to convey its signifi cance, it is safe to say that oftentimes the perception about a property’s integrity is often inaccurate when compared with the actual degree of change documented through photographs, maps, oral history, and permit files.

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*B10. Significance: (Continued):

The following photographs and architectural plans provide a visual context for interpreting the original building and its remaining architectural integrity.

Figure 11: Current view of the “Beehive” looking northeast at the west elevation.

Figure 12: 1956 west elevation drawing of the “Beehive.”

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Figure 13: View looking south at the north elevation. From this elevation the 1974 addition is evident on the left, creating an “L” shape. The addition distorted the original sloping roofline of the 1956 building, incorporated stucco siding, and eliminated original fenestration and a rear entry.

Figure 14: 1956 north elevation drawing of the “Beehive.”

1974 addition

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Figure 15: Current view of the “Beehive” looking north at the south elevation. From this view along Q Street the raised central roofline that covered the open-air patio is apparent.

Figure 16: 1956 South elevation drawing of the “Beehive.”

Raised roof and former open-air patio

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Figure 17: Current view of the “Beehive” looking southwest at the east elevation.

Figure 18: Current view of the “Beehive” looking south at the east elevation.

Redwood replaced with stucco on the original building
1974 addition

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Figure 19: 1956 east elevation drawing of the “Beehive.”

Figure 20: Current view looking east at the main entry along Q Street with the missing roofing along the top of the veranda supported by steel columns.

Tongue and groove redwood

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Figure 21: Current view of the extensively remodeled
auditorium looking north towards the stage.

Figure 22: Typical remodeled room configuration,
including walls, flooring, and ceiling design.

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Figure 23: Remodeled former central open-air patio looking east.

Figure 24: Remodeled former central open-air patio
looking east with an added partition wall on the left.

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*B10. Significance: (Continued):

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

The “Beehive” building was designed largely to house the home economics department of the Sacramento Bee. The building ’s rather utilitarian exterior design was once enhanced by its modernist int erior design inspired by Beck and King , who assisted Cox & Liske, the principal arc hitects hired by Eleanor McClatchy. As previously described, the most consequential alterations to the original 1956 building design involve the elimin ation of the open -air patio or courtyard that once encompassed over one-third of the building’s original massing, and the addition on the northeast end of the building , creating an “L” shaped massing. Few, if any, design elements remain in the interior of the building reflecting the work of Beck and King. Two of the four elevations retain good integrity, the west and south elevations, although the raised roof in the center of the building clearly visible from Q Street is a distraction to the otherwise mid-20th Century sloping roofline, one of the hallmarks of the original building.

While Cox & Liske were prominent a rchitects in the Sacramento region, th rough the years the firm expanded its staff and capabilities. Not nearly as well known, Beck and King were associates who shared a common interest in art and design. Beck is a nationally recognized artist and played an important role in thea ter design in Sacramento. King apparently worked as a des igner along with Beck and later with John Siler, him self an i mportant figure in mid -20th century modern design in Sacramento.

Unfortunately, the interior of the bui lding that featured not only unique architectural details, but also furniture, no longer reads as it was originally intended, a result of exten sive alterations and remodeling. In essence, Beck and King ’s signature artistic expression of decoration and landscaping, at least in the interior, no longer exists. Most pronounced, the enclosure or filling of the open-air central patio or courtyard believed to be a key element of Beck and King, no longer exists.

Taken as a whole, the additions and alterations described in this historic resource anal ysis had such profound consequences on the integrity of the “Beehive,” particularly in regards to the artistic expre ssion of its interior by Beck and King , that the building does not retain adequate integrity for it to be consid ered a significant resource eligible for listing on the NRHP, CRHR, or as a City of Sacramento Historical Landmark. While the building may lack integrity and may not qualify as a significant historic resource, it is recommended that the origi nal plans for the building be retained and curated at the Center for Sacramento History where other archival information has been archived regarding the McClatchy Company for future research, particularly the lives and work of Beck and King.